Sharia Law Causes Celebrities To Boycott Famed Beverly Hills Hotel

Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno are just two of the famous personalities that are boycotting the Beverly Hills Hotel – a Brunei-owned company.

On Monday, the Beverly Hills on Sunset Boulevard was bombarded with crowds of protesters calling for people to boycott the hotel. The protest was against Brunei leader, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who announced last week that he is going to push through with the Sharia law that includes stoning to death and severing limbs of adulterers and gay citizens.

According to reports, the penalties also apply to Brunei-based citizens who are not Muslim.

As a result of the announcement, music executive and record producer Clive Davis moved out of the hotel over the weekend. Organizers of large-scale events that were supposed to take place at the hotel also pulled out. Other stars boycotting the hotel include Richard Branson, Stephen Fry, and Sharon Osbourne.

Lili Bosse, mayor of Beverly Hills, is urging the city to come up with a resolution that condemns Brunei’s new laws. The city will be voting on what measures to take on Tuesday.

Amidst all the protests, some are concerned about the employees who are working for the hotel and other properties of the Dorchester Collection. Christopher Cowdray, Chief Executive for the Dorchester Collection said that the act of boycotting will hurt employees of the chain.

A source said that with the lack of celebrities and other well-known personalities in the hotel, there is no need to take on the extra employees.

U.S. has been discreet about wanting to change the penal code of Brunei, but reports say that the country’s concerns have already been relayed in private to the government of Brunei.

Sultan Bolkiah’s new law has made Brunei the first country to set the Sharia Law nationally in East and Southeast Asia. Several human rights organizations, and the United Nations office have shown their disapproval of the law.